Wales and Portugal to go the distance in Lyon

Alex McMahon/Comments Off on Wales and Portugal to go the distance in Lyon

Cristiano Ronaldo’s Portugal will find it tough against Chris Coleman’s spirited Wales side

Fernando Santos’ men have somehow managed to sneak into the semi-finals despite playing poorly for the majority of the competition. Portugal have struggled on the most part, needing a last-gasp winner in extra-time against Croatia before squeezing past Poland on penalties in the quarter-final. Ultimately, Ronaldo and co just haven’t been anywhere near as good as expected…

William Carvalho was one of Portugal’s top performers in the group stages but 18-year-old Renato Sanches stole the show in their previous encounter against Poland and he will be vital again – especially as Carvalho is suspended. The Bayern Munich man showed plenty of maturity on that day and he could be the man to inspire Portugal to the next round. On paper, Portugal should be beating Wales but you never know…

For Wales to stand any chance, they have to keep Cristiano Ronaldo quiet. The Portugal captain hasn’t been brilliant this summer but he always seems to raise his game at the big moment and Wales’ defence will be wary of his abilities. The three-time Ballon d’Or winner is capable of winning games more or less on his own and Coleman’s men must focus primarily on limiting his impact…

Wales have been simply sublime so far but their journey might not come to an end just yet. Gareth Bale has led Wales through the competition and the Real Madrid man could inspire his nation to the final if he performs at his very best. And what makes their immense effort even more impressive is the fact that this is Wales’ first appearance at a major tournament since 1958…

Unfortunately, they will have to cope without Aaron Ramsey and Ben Davies in their semi-final clash after both players were ruled out through suspension. Ramsey has been an integral part of Wales’ side and Coleman will have to tweak his tactics to ensure that they can match Portugal in midfield. Joe Allen and Joe Ledley will now both be central to Wales’ chances of glory on Wednesday night…

On the whole, Wales’ performances have been about the collective and not the individual. And for that reason, I believe Wales will cope without Ramsey. Yes, he’s a big loss but Wales have plenty of talented stars waiting in the wings. If Coleman gets it right, Portugal are beatable and quarter-final hero Hal Robson-Kanu may be the man to fire Wales to victory…

VERDICT

Portugal have failed to inspire confidence throughout the tournament but it would be foolish to dismiss them. Santos’ men are yet to win inside 90 minutes but they haven’t lose a game inside 90 minutes either. Meanwhile, Wales may prosper on the counter-attack – especially as Portugal are expected to dominate possession. Coleman’s side have been the surprise outfit at Euro 2016 and Wales may be on the verge of reaching the final. I’m backing a draw in 90 minutes and from there, Wales may emerge victorious on penalties.

Written by Alex McMahon

Alex (@AlMacca93) is an experienced freelance sports writer who has worked for a range of companies, including Goal.com, Betbright and Media Skunk Works. As well as being a football aficionado, Alex enjoys NFL, rugby and almost all other sports.